Ross Hansen, seen here at a 2012 holiday party, died Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015, in an endurance race that wound through the George Washington National Forest in Virginia, according to a published report. Photo Credit: Levi Reyes

"The fact he died doing what he loved gives our family some peace," Alison Hansen, 39, of Pawcatuck, Connecticut. "We know he trained and prepared for this race and was so excited to do it."

Ross Hansen had done some biking in his youth, but returned to it about four years ago, he wrote in an Aug. 3 blog post replete with exclamation points and cheerful training anecdotes. Hansen described his excitement at completing Wilderness 101, a Pennsylvania endurance ride held July 25 and his first race of 100 miles.

"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED," he wrote. "And so I put this one in the books, my first. And by no means my last. I love this sport."

Calls to the Augusta County Sheriff's Department in Verona, Virginia, which handled the investigation, were not returned Tuesday.